tonifm prevailed as much as in any place whatever, was likewife diftinguished by giving rife to fome very eminent Gnoftics. Rome, it is obferved, was more free from Gnosticism than most other places. It is faid, however, by Epiphanius, to have been introduced there in the time of Anicetus*.

The principles of this fyftem, whatever we may think of it at present, must have been exceedingly captivating at the time of their publication, as many excellent men were much taken with them. This was the cafe with Epiphanius . with the father of Gregory Nazianzen‡, and the famous Austin who is well known to have been a Manichean. I shall now proceed to mark the diftinguishing features of the Gnoftics; and this is fo uniformly done by all the writers who mention them, that there is no danger of mistaking them for those of any other fect whatever,

* Εν χρονοις Ανικηκε η προδεδηλωμένη Μαρκελλίνα εν Ρώμη γενομένη, την λύμην της Καρποκρα διδασκαλιας εξεμεσασα πολλές των εκείσε λυμηνάμενη ηφάνισε κι εηθεν γεγονεν η αρχή γνωτικών των καλεμένων, Hær. 27. vol. 1. p. 107.

+ Hær. 26. vol. I. p.99.

Or. 19. Opera, p. 297.

SECTION I.

Of the Pride of the Gnostics.

AS the Gnoftics were generally persons of education, and addicted to the fstudy of philofophy, the moft confpicuous feature in their general character, was their pride, their contempt of the vulgar, and of their opinions, boafting of their own knowledge, and being proud of their fuperiority to others. They represented their institution as more refined than that of other christians, and pretended to a degree of perfection which other chriftians did not claim. This feature is equally marked by the chriftian Fathers, and the apoftles; and it will be feen, in its proper place, that, in oppofition to them, the unitarian chriftians were confidered as weak, and fimple people, in all refpects the very reverfe of the Gnoftics.

Irenæus fays, that the Gnoftics pretended to perfection, and called themselves fpi

ritual ¿

Clemens

ritual * ; and he says, that they called the orthodox Luxxor, carnal †. Alexandrinus alfo fpeaks of the Gnoftics

66

as pretending to perfection, boasting " of more knowledge than the apostles; "whereas Paul himself fays, that he had "not yet attained, nor was already per"fect." But I have no occafion to quote many authorities for a circumstance which marks the Gnoftics wherever they appear; and it is equally evident, that there were teachers of chriftianity pretending to the fame fuperiority of knowledge and perfection in the time of the apoftles.

The firft certain evidence of the existence of the Gnoftic doctrine in the chriftian

Plurimi autem & contemptores facti, quafi jam perfecti, fine reverentia, & in contemptu viventes, femet ipfos fpiritales vocant, & fe noffe jam dicunt eum qui fit intra pleroma ipforum refrigerii locum.

P. 237.

+ Δια τετο εν ημάς ψυχικές ονομαζεσι. P. 32.

Lib. 3. cap. 15.

Lib. 1. chap. I.

† Εμοι δε και θαυμάζειν επείσιν, όπως σφας τελείες τινες τολμωσε καλειν και γνωσικός υπερ τον Αποςολον φρονωνίες, φυσιωμένοι τε καὶ φρυατλομενοι . αυτες ομολογείος το Παύλο περι ταύτα, εχ ότι ήδη έλαβον, non TεTEXEIμ. Pæd. lib. 1. cap. 6. p. 107.

church is at the time of Paul's writing his first epistle to the Corinthians, which was probably in the year 56; and the falfe teachers of that place are diftin&ly marked by the apoftles for their pride, conceit, and high pretenfions to wisdom. In oppofition to their pretended deep knowledge, the apoftle fays, 1 Cor. i. 18. The preaching of the cross is foolishness to them that perish, but to us who are faved it is the power of God. iii. 18. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you feem to be wife in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wife. He feems to allude to their pretended fpirituality and refinement, when he fays, I could not speak unto you as unto Spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as to babes in Chrift. He likewife fpeaks ironically of their pretenfions to wisdom, 1 Cor. iv. 10. We are fools for Chrift's fake, but ye are wife in Chrift, and x. 15. I speak as unto wile en, judge ye what I jay. That they were Gnoftics who corrupted the gofpel at Corinth, is evident from the 15th chapter of this epistle, where it appears, that they explained away the doctrine of the refurrection.

These

These teachers are diftinguished by the fame features at Ephefus not long after this, as we find, 1 Tim. vi. 3. If any man teach otherwife, and confent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about queftions and ftrifes of words, &c. In the epiftle to the Coloffians, chap. ii. 18. the apostle cautions the christians against those who intruded into things which they had not feen, being vainly puffed up in their fleshly minds, which could be no other than the fame defcription of men. It is alfo probable that they were the fame perfons that the apostle James alluded to, chap. iii. 13. Who is a wife man, and indued with knowledge among you; Let him fhew, out of a good converfation, his works with meekness of wisdom. Let us now see what kind of knowledge thefe Gnostics had to be fo proud of.

SEC